I am an evil giraffe. Who no longer blogs about politics.

I’m not really all that into blogging about the Zimmerman/Martin shooting. From what I can tell, what happened was that there was an confrontation that might have very well been avoidable; it ended with a genuinely tragic ending; and that there were actually pretty much no wider partisan implications at all, despite the attempts of the Online Left to fit a Latino Democrat onto the Procrustean bed of WASP Tea Partier. All of which is contemptible of the Online Left, by the way. Expected, but contemptible.

Still, the news that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has decided to stop working on criminal bill advocacy because of liberal push back on ALEC’s work on stand-your-ground laws is of interest. Said laws, for those unaware of them, essentially confirm the right of a citizen to defend themselves if attacked; and (as Clayton Cramer and Glenn Reynolds note) such laws are very important from a feminist perspective. Particularly when we’re talking about, say, battered women. Amazing how quickly people on the Left stop caring about that sort of thing when it gets into the way of going after perceived Righty groups, right? Again: expected, and contemptible.

(Via RCP) You remember her: she was the woman who, as governor, did her level best to drive Michigan so hard into the ground that it’d leave an impact crater. Jury’s still out on whether she succeeded or not, alas… but anyway: she kind of hates Mitt Romney. (more…)

Apparently, it’s all about planned economies: former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is for ‘em.

“We operate as though we are not in a global economy,” says Granholm. “In theory, free markets and laissez faire make perfect sense, but in practice, our competitors are eating us for lunch.”

(pause)

Remember, this was supposed to be one of the Democrats’ smart ones. One of the people that was supposed to make you wistful that we only let native-born citizens be President (Granholm was born in Canada). Kind of alarming that she’s now talking about how free market capitalism just isn’t practical? – Because unless Jennifer Granholm had a stroke recently or something, this is probably not a new opinion for her. Which means that she probably had that opinion while she was running the state of Michigan. Which explains the current state of Michigan rather handily, really. (more…)

Amusing Internet fact: once upon a time, many members of the Online Left was actually despondent that the Constitution forbid Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm from running for President (she isn’t a born citizen*). This would be before the breakdown of… well, show me a part of Michigan that hasn’t broken down by now. Latest example comes from the city of Flint (via theblogprof):

Shootings have become so widespread in the city that two former state representatives are talking about calling in the National Guard to help calm violence on Flint’s streets.

Former state representative Vera Rison said Tuesday that help is needed immediately, and during a meeting of the Genesee County Board of Commissioners today, Brenda Clack quizzed Sheriff Robert Pickell about the potential for getting help from guardsmen as well.

I note with some interest (via a post from The Other McCain) that there are some Democrats still out there that are apparently seriously contemplating supporting the nomination of Governor Jennifer Granholm to the Supreme Court.

DETROIT, May 17 (UPI) — Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm would provide a fresh perspective to the U.S. Supreme Court if she is nominated by President Barack Obama, analysts say.

Yes, I suppose that the Governor would provide a ‘fresh perspective’ to the Supreme Court. To the best of my knowledge, no sitting Justice there has managed to almost double an entire state’s unemployment rate in five short years. Particularly when the national unemployment rate was trending downward for most of that time:

Or is it just a case of testing to destruction The Peter Principle once and for all? If so, I give full credit to the Obama administration for seriously contemplating rescuing the people of Michigan from one of its primary (and no doubt, well-meaning) tormentors… but must it be the Supreme Court? Surely they have not filled all the slots at Fish & Game yet? My father-in-law would vehemently object to that particular suggestion, but sacrifices must sometimes be made.